18 May 2026

Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) Vice Chancellor, Professor Elisha Shemang says the university is operating at a P229.70 million deficit due to budget cuts that continue to strain operations.

Briefing the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises in Gaborone on Tuesday, Prof. Shemang said staffing costs remained high largely because the Botswana Qualifications Authority required staff to undergo training for assessment purposes.

He said the university also incurred significant costs for external examination moderators, who were paid substantial fees.

Prof. Shemang further noted that continued reliance on government subvention posed a major risk and said the institution needed to strengthen interventions aimed at improving sustainability.

He said in order to sustain the university; they needed to ensure that they controlled short-term liabilities.

He also cited low postgraduate throughput, as one of the institution’s performance constraints, explaining that many postgraduate students depended on research funding, which remained limited.

In addition, he said BIUST had established a higher education assistantship fund to support postgraduate students assisting with teaching and tutorials through stipends for their studies.

Prof. Shemang said the university also faced challenges in commercialising research outputs, noting that transforming research into product development required levels of funding currently unavailable to the institution.

“We need to centre revenue diversification and income streams and, along that line, we have BIUST Enterprise, which is a vehicle we are using to generate revenue going forward,” he said.

On research and innovation, he said the university had recorded notable achievements through programmes focusing on climate change initiatives funded by the OR Tambo Foundation, sustainable manufacturing, innovation and technology, as well as participation in the Square Kilometre Array project.

“One of the key milestones is that we have four patents in file and we have what we call good financial practice from international donors and funders, as well as a sound financial management system,” he said.

Addressing infrastructure challenges, Prof. Shemang said development of the founding campus had progressed slowly, resulting in limited teaching infrastructure and continued reliance on prefabricated structures.

“Students are taught in porta cabins, the prefabs. Staff offices are mostly in prefabs and student hostels; most students sleep in porta cabins and so that is the challenge we have,” he said.

Meanwhile, BIUST Financial Director, Segametsi Moemedi, told the committee that the institution continued to face recurring audit findings showing that liabilities exceeded assets.

Ms Moemedi said the university needed to establish leave liability and gratuity funds to improve financial stability, noting that government subvention had not increased since 2021 despite rising operational costs.

Responding to questions from committee members, Prof Shemang said construction of the university student centre had been completed but operations were delayed by structural defects in the design, including roof components that had to be imported from Germany. ENDS